Names
by Velveteen Nightmare
Summary: A book based ficlet where Courfeyrac attempts to get Marius to speak his love's name.


_Author's note: I do not own Les Miserables. This is a book based fic.  Review if you so desire. Everyone loves Courfeyrac…or Courfeyrac loves everyone…something along those lines. Enjoy! _

Courfeyrac had noticed that as of late, his friend Marius had been acting most peculiar.  After much pondering and some poking at the young law student, he discovered that his friend was in love. 

            This bit of information thrilled Courfeyrac.  It was in his opinion, a sign that Marius was indeed a rational human being after all.

            Or at least it had thrilled him until Marius had refused to give up his love's name.

            Then it merely infuriated him.

            "Come now, come now! Tell me her name…be a good fellow and share." Courfeyrac pleaded, accosting Marius on his way to class.

            Marius merely shook his head and kept walking.

            "Is it that you don't trust me? I'm hurt Marius, I'd never go after a lady who was of interest to my friend!"

            "I trust you, Courfeyrac." Marius said evenly.

            "Well?"

            "But I'm not going to tell you."

            Courfeyrac groaned and pressed his palm to his forehead.  "You know you are killing me, don't you?"

            "You'll live."

            "Oh, cruel, cruel Marius! Keeping secrets from his poor friend. His friend, who lets him borrow money, gives him coats, finds him employment, takes him in off the street, etcetera, and etcetera."

            "Piling guilt upon me will not give you her name." Marius said stubbornly.

            "Well…"

            "Well?"

            "Well what if I guess it? Would you tell me if I guessed it?" Courfeyrac asked stepping in front of Marius and walking backwards in order to look the younger man in the face. 

            "You're going to trip and hurt yourself." Marius warned.

            "Would you tell me if I guessed it?" Courfeyrac repeated just as stubbornly as Marius.

            Marius glanced towards the heavens and sighed.  There were hundreds of names out there. The chances of his friend stumbling upon the name of his Angel were slim indeed.  "Fine. If you guess her name, I'll let you know."

            Courfeyrac beamed and fell back into step beside Marius.

            "Annette."

            "No."

            "Aimee."

            "No."

            "Adele?"

            "No." Marius was suddenly struck by an alarming thought…just how persistent _was_ Courfeyrac?

            "Adrienne?"

            "No."

            "Blast. Annemarie?" 

            "No." Evidently he was a just a tad persistent.

            "Arietta?"

            "Courfeyrac, do I even dare to ask how long you plan to walk with me reciting ladies' names?"

            "Until I get it right, of course. Silly boy.  Allele?"

            Marius sighed deeply wondering what on earth he had gotten himself into. "No."

            "Atatlanta?"

            "No…just where are you getting these names from anyway?"

            "Nothing licentious, you have my word. Azelma?"

            "No." Marius sighed with relief as he stepped inside the gates of the law school.  "I have to go to class, Courfeyrac."

            Courfeyrac gave a mock shudder at the sight of the law school.  "It is far too pleasant of a day to go to class. Until later my dear Bonapartist democrat."

            Somehow, Marius didn't like the way that "Until later" sounded.

            To confirm Marius's concern, Courfeyrac was waiting outside the gate for him after class. 

            "Babet?"

            Marius gave a trembling sigh.  "No."

            "Belle?"

            "Don't be absurd."

            "I wouldn't have to be if you would **tell me her blasted name**, but alas."  Courfeyrac gave a small cough. 

            "Why do you care? Just give up and be happy. You'll never manage to guess it right anyway."

            Marius quickly realized that perhaps throwing down that particular gauntlet was unwise.  "Challenge accepted…and I care because it isn't right to keep things like this a secret. Secret romances are frivolous, disturbing, and not to mention highly infuriating.  If you keep it a secret it is doomed to fall apart at the seams, I assure you. Ah, let me see now. …Birgit?"

            Marius relatively relieved when he saw Joly and Bossuet heading their way. 

            "Hullo, Courfeyrac! Hullo, Marius!" Bossuet said cheerfully.  "How goes it?"

            "Make him stop." Marius pleaded pointing at Courfeyrac who began to laugh uproariously.

            "Make him stop what?" Joly asked looking bewildered.            

            "I made a deal with him, if he could guess the name of my…of my love then I'd let him know."  

            "Oh you poor boy. You challenged Christophe to a battle of wills?"  Bossuet shook his head in mock pity. 

            "He won't come out and tell me!" Courfeyrac burst out every bit as annoyed as Marius.  "He's the one who is driving me mad playing games.  I'd be more than happy to stop if he'd just tell me."

            Marius continued oblivious to his friend's petulant tones. "And he won't stop guessing women's names!"

            "If you would tell, I wouldn't have to guess." Courfeyrac pointed out.

            "If you would stop guessing I wouldn't have to tell!"

            "That doesn't make any blasted sense!"

            "It doesn't have to!"

            "It isn't healthy to keep things like this hidden! You're going to ruin your chances at a lovely relationship just because you are intent on keeping it hidden from the world! You and your little lady friend are doomed unless you start talking!" Courfeyrac insisted. 

            Bossuet and Joly exchanged looks.  "Maybe we should be going…" Joly suggested.

            "Her name is sacred, can't you understand that? What we have is special, no, no, it is more than that, it is _holy_!"

            "What in the name of all that is good and sacred are you talking about? Are you in love with a nun or something?" Courfeyrac looked vexed beyond all reason. 

            "I am most certainly not in love with a nun!" Marius blushed deeply. 

            "It wouldn't have surprised me if you were _M. l'Abbe_!" Courfeyrac crossed his arms and looked uncharacteristically huffy. 

            Bossuet coughed loudly.  "Oh parbleu, Joly, I think I've caught your cold.  I'd better get inside before I get pneumonia."

            The sun was shining brightly and it was rather hot, and Joly hadn't so much as sniffled in weeks, but it got the two friends away from the quarreling law students. 

            Marius was fairly stomping down the street heading in the direction towards home.

            Courfeyrac changed tactics. "Why can't you just tell me? Is it really so much to ask? I'd be more than willing to tell you all about Cosette."

            Marius nearly fell over.  "Pardon?" He asked regaining his calm somewhat.

            "Cosette, my mistress…awww, Marius is blushing." Courfeyrac seemed instantly in better humor and tousled Marius's hair. 

            "But…that's a very…unusual name isn't it?" Marius stammered out, praying with all his might that fate wasn't playing some sort of perverse trick upon him.

            Courfeyrac shrugged.  "I suppose so; its what she calls herself really. Apparently she went to convent school with some girl who really was named Cosette…or also called herself Cosette…not really entirely clear on the matter.  She fancied the name and took it as her own." He gave another shrug and accompanied this one with a hopeless grin.  "I don't pretend to _understand_ women."

            Marius sighed deeply feeling relieved and a lot less ill tempered towards Courfeyrac.  "Attended convent school, eh? So you're the one who fancies a nun, then." He jibed.

            "It isn't funny you know. That headwear is quite beguiling."

            Marius and Courfeyrac exchanged serious glances before laughing.  Marius marveled at how difficult it was to stay annoyed with Courfeyrac, and managed to feel just a tad bad about infuriating him.   

            After their mirth had subsided Courfeyrac rubbed his eyes and asked with a smile, "So what_ is _her name?" He asked.

            Marius gave a helpless gesture.  "You already have it."

            "Wh—what?  Which name? What name? When did I guess it?" Courfeyrac's mouth fell open.  "You said you'd tell me if I guessed it!"

            "And I am. I'm just not telling you _when_ you guessed it."

            "Nasty little Baron! You tricked me!" Courfeyrac looked torn between frustration and amusement.  Amusement won, however, and Courfeyrac gave a low bow.  "I give up. You win.  Enjoy your soap bubble paradise.  When it pops and you come plummeting back to earth, remember, your friend Courfeyrac will be there with words that will no doubt remedy the entire situation."

            "And what might those words be M. de Courfeyrac?" Marius asked rather bitingly.  

            Courfeyrac paused and gave a grin that lit up his entire face. 

"I-told-you-so."   


End file.
